


Weight of a name

by siojo



Series: marcoace week 2016 [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death mentioned, M/M, mentioned Gol D Roger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 03:19:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8828386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siojo/pseuds/siojo
Summary: Marco finally decides to ask why Ace asks about the others ideas of freedom, he should have known the answer.marcoace week day 1: freedom





	

Marco thinks freedom is flying. Of being high over the clouds and nothing for miles in any direction as he goes. But that is his freedom, the freest that Marco has ever wished to be and that's fine. It's all he's ever wanted

But, he thinks watching Ace curled up on a corner of the bed, what he thinks is freedom does not always translate for others. No one else on this ship can fly. Few people the world over can fly and they might see freedom differently.

Thatch thinks freedom is being a pain in the ass, Marco knows that's not the literal translation, but it's close enough for Marco's tastes. Haruta's is similar enough that he combines the two.

He knows what each of his siblings think when they think of freedom. He knows what Oyaji, and Ana, and Bay think of freedom.

He doesn't know what Ace thinks of it, but he does know that Ace is curious about what freedom means. That Ace asked every member of the crew he's met and all the allies that have come to visit what they think of freedom. Marco wouldn't be surprised if Ace asked his enemies the same question.

Marco wonders what Ace would tell Marco if he asked what Ace thought of freedom or if he would ignore the question like he has so many others.

“You are staring,” Ace mumbles. “What are you doing up?”

Marco grins, “Watching you sleep.”

“That's weird, you should sleep, we-,” Ace yawns hiding his face in his pillow. “Have lots to do tomorrow.”

“I don't have to sleep.”

“But I do. And I can't if you are watching me sleep all night.”

Marco snorts, pushing Ace softly until he was pressed to Marco's side, “What about now? Can you sleep without my interruption now?”

“Nooo,” Ace whines, twisting to glare balefully at him. “You didn't answer my question. Why?”

“It can wait until morning, promise.”

Ace shoves at Marco's shoulder, “I told you, too late for that,” He yawns, shaking as he does. “Why are you waking me up with your weird bird habits?”

“They aren't weird bird habits, at least this one isn't,” Marco placates, knowing that Ace insisted most of his habits were ‘weird bird habits’. “You ask a lot of questions about freedom.”

“Why couldn't it have been stupid bird stuff,” Ace mutters darkly. “This is one of those long conversations that pretend to be short ones, if I fall asleep during my shift tomorrow, I will blame you.”

“You can blame me,” Marco agrees. “So?”

“My dream is to be more free than anyone,” Ace says glaring when Marco raises an eyebrow. “I will go sleep in my own room, you know. I don't have to put up with you questioning my dreams.”

“I'll stop, just ignore my expressions. More free than anyone?”

Ace nods reluctantly, “My little brother and I both, but I think he's conflated it with his dream of Pirate King. To Luffy being free is being the Pirate King, that's what he thinks of when he thinks of freedom.”

“And you, what do you think of as freedom?”

“I,” Ace huffs a laugh. “I thought it meant being the strongest man in the world, but I seemed to have failed rather horribly, haven't I?”

“A little. Not in a bad way.”

“I can't figure out what I think it is now. I thought, I thought if I got my dream that I would be happy but I don't know. I still want to be free, but I don't know what freedom as a concept means to me anymore. If that makes sense.”

Marco nods, “Of course it makes sense, Ace. Changing your view on anything is trying let alone, your view on freedom. Is that why you ask? You want to know what the others think of freedom?”

“Hm,” Ace agrees sleepily. “Freedom is so weird. I just, I just want to be myself.”

“This has to do with Roger, doesn't it?” 

Marco hates when things lead back to Roger with Ace, they're always harder for him to understand. Harder for him to help Ace get past and he wants Ace to get past the hatred he has of Roger, even if it meant that he ignored Roger's existence. Ace is more than Roger's son and Marco would give anything for Ace to understand.

“I want to be free of his name. It's why I went after Oyaji, I figured if I killed him that I would have the freedom that I desired, but you saw how that ended. I'm still trapped by it.”

“You aren't-”

“I'm trapped by his name, I promise,” Ace assures. “If the Marines find out my birth name then everything I have ever done will be for nothing. I will be trapped by Roger's name and his crimes instead of the things that I have done. I want to be free of Roger's name. I want the freedom to be myself without all of my accomplishments dismissed by his blood in my veins.”

“Is that what freedom means to you?” Marco asks softly after a long moment. “To be yourself without ever having to see yourself reduced to nothing more than Roger's son?”

“Sounds weird when you put it like that.”

“No one would ever dare to conflate you, no one could ever dare to think you were worthless compared to Roger.”

Ace snorts, “That's sweet, Marco, but that's not how it works. If it did than I wouldn't have been told Roger's son deserved to die for his crimes. I won't ever be free of him.”

“Then why?”

“Because, I want to be free of him. I want my freedom, but it's probably impossible. Not all dreams are achievable, you know.”

“Of course it is.”

“If you say so,” Ace shrugs. “Can I go to sleep or are you going to watch me sleep all night?”

Marco wants to argue, but he shoves the urge aside, there is time for them to talk more later, “Go to sleep.”

Ace grins shifting to kiss Marco before pressing his face against Marco's chest, “Good night.”

“Sleep well,” Marco sighs.

Ace is asleep in minutes and Marco, Marco couldn't even if he desperately needed to, the way Ace's eyes fall hollow as he talks about the trap of Roger's name eating away at him.

 

The worst part is that Ace is right. Ace goes to his death and his own crimes are washed away in the wake of Roger's, the name that he carved out for himself ignored for one that he refused to acknowledge.

Ace dies still unable to win his freedom from the chains of Roger's name. Even if they bury him under under his mother's.

**Author's Note:**

> titles guy, i really dont like em.


End file.
